By Kim McCullough, M.Sc., YCS What is the most common injury in female hockey? It is NOT knee injuries. It is NOT shoulder injuries. It is NOT back injuries. One injury happens more than any other and can have the most devastating effects of all. Concussions are the most common injury in women's hockey. In fact, the NCAA sport with the highest concussion rate (by far) is women's hockey. It is not men's hockey or men's football. At the university level, female hockey players suffer 1 concussion for every 1000 "exposures" to the game - with each practice and game counting as one exposure. On a team of 20 players, that means 1 concussion every 50 exposures. Female hockey players are TWO TIMES more likely to suffer a concussion than male hockey players and almost THREE TIMES more likely than football players. Pretty amazing for a sport that doesn't allow full body-checking, isn't it? Although statistics on younger players are harder to come by, I would guess that their concussion rate would be just as high (and maybe even higher) than with the women. Girls are having more exposures than ever to the sport - they compete on school teams, club teams, travel teams, Olympic development teams and weekend tournament teams. Girls' hockey players are playing just as much as the boys - but are getting hurt twice as often. Knee, shoulder and back injuries can be devastating to a young player who wants nothing more than to play the sport they love at the highest level possible, but they rarely have the same long-term effects as a concussion. THE SOLUTION? Here are two suggestions on how you can help to prevent concussions in girls hockey players. 1) Girls have to be better prepared physically. An overwhelming number of you believed that a lack of strength and conditioning was a big reason for the alarmingly high incidence of concussions in girls' hockey. The stronger a player is, the better she will be able to hold her ground when she is hit unexpectedly (which is how a large number of concussions happen in girls' hockey). By building better core stability, balance and overall strength, players are better able to control their bodies in space and withstand the force of impact. Another important prevention strategy is making sure that players warm-up prior to hitting the ice. A proper 10 minute off-ice warm-up will ensure that a player's mind and muscles are ready for the intensity of the on-ice session - and will go a long way towards preventing all injuries (not just concussions). 2) Girls need to be taught how to take a hit. In every girls' or women's game I have ever watched or played, there is always at least one instance where I think, "Good thing we don't have full body-checking because that player would have been run-over". The female game may not have full body-checking, but girls are going to get hit. We are doing our players a great disservice by not teaching them how they can protect themselves if (and when) they do get hit. If more coaches, teams and associations start showing girls how to take a hit properly, it will go a long way towards preventing concussions, as well as a whole slew of other injuries. Bottom Line: It is our responsibility to make sure that our players are prepared, both physically and mentally, each and every time they step out on the ice.

”Winners never quit, and quitters never win.”

Hockey Line Changes Line changes in ice hockey are usually pretty straight forward, but sometimes things can get a little tangled up. Here’s a couple tips to make sure your shift change goes smoothly. Watch the Player, Not the Play When the hockey player you’re taking off is nearing the end of their shift, keep a close eye on her. Watch her wherever he goes on the ice. Don’t take your eyes off her. When your player makes her move to change on the fly, it is up to you to be ready. Not having a drink of water, not tying your skate, and not watching the play at the other end of the hockey rink. Be ready. Hustle onto the Ice Whether you jump over the boards or go through the gate, be on the ice before the other player is off. It’s up to the ref to decide just how far that extra distance is (if any). You don’t want to jump on too early and risk a penalty for too many men on the ice. Play it Safe Make sure it’s safe before you decide to make a line change on the fly. Only change when your team has possession of the puck, or the puck has just been dumped into the offensive zone. It is extremely dangerous to change when the other hockey team has control of the puck. Skate Hard Once you decide to make a change, skate hard to the bench. Even though you may be exhausted from ‘leaving it all on the ice,’ gather up your last ounce of energy and hustle off . The sooner you get off, the sooner your teammate can get on. Quick line changes can give your hockey team an extra edge in a close game. Skate fast when finishing your shift and your teammates will notice. Good teams do this. Good players do this. Average players do not. Make Some Noise On your way to the bench, let the player that’s replacing you know your coming off. Bang your stick, yell your position, or better yet, yell their name. If the next player isn’t on the ice by the time you’re off, you may need to yell again.

The Backhand shot feels unnatural and awkward. The first time you try it, it almost seems impossible to get any power behind it. All the same elements that go into a good wrist shot go into a strong backhand shot. Backhand Shot Basics •Pull the puck back to (or past) your rear leg. •“Load Up” by leaning on your rear leg. •Start with the puck on the heel of your stick, and roll it down the blade as you shoot. •Transfer your weight to your front leg. •Roll your wrists over as you follow through. •Point the tip of your blade to where you want the puck to go. Wrist Shot vs Backhand Shot •The curve of the stick is working against you on your backhand. You only have the distance between the heel, and the point where the blade starts to curve to work with. Once the puck rolls past the mid-point, you’ve lost control and you can’t possibly get anything behind it. You’ve got to release the puck before the puck rolls past the mid-point of your curve. •While pulling the puck back is important to generate power for both shots, you can actually shoot the puck fairly hard with a wrist shot, even if you don’t pull it back. No dice with the backhand. You MUST pull it back to get any power at all. •Rolling your wrists ALL THE WAY over is crucial on your backhand. This gives you the necessary power and accuracy to have any chance of scoring. This is not easy as it requires a fair bit of strength and timing. The backside of the blade of your stick should be parallel to the ice at the end of your follow through. While the backhand shot isn’t used very often, it’s a key weapon to have at your disposal. Practice a few shots against the boards before every game, and you will become more and more confident, and score more goals!

Unlike a breakaway a shootout is a different story. The shooter has all the time in the world with nobody chasing them down. Most players still come in pretty fast on a shootout, just like during the game. They are exited, nervous, and their adrenaline is pumping. The goalie will then back up as his typical pace as well. Slow Down. If you decide to shoot, rather than deke, slow down as your approach to the net. Not only does slowing down give you more time to aim and shoot, but most goalies will continue to back up at their usual pace. This will open up more of the net than if you come in at breakaway speed. So the next time you find yourself in a shootout or a taking a penalty shot, slow down, pick a corner and shoot!

When your team is entering the offensive zone on a Two on One, it's up to the player without the puck to get open, and be available for a pass. Your first instinct should be to go hard to the net, so you can receive a pass close to the goalie for a great scoring opportunity. But if your winger is flying down the boards ahead of you with the puck, another offensive option is to slow down so that you're not directly in line with your winger and the defenseman trying to cover the pass. Ultimately you want to either be ahead of the defenseman, or behind him. Holding back can put you in a great position to score, especially if there is little backchecking pressure.

Improve your Passing Skills Better passing means getting the puck successfully to your teammate, even in tough situations. Sometimes you may need to pass the puck over an opponent’s stick or wayward limb strewn on the ice. While you definitely need to clear the object you’re passing over, you don’t want to flip the puck too high in the air. This will make the puck bounce around when it lands on the ice, making it tough for your teammate to receive the pass. Spin that Puck! Start the pass with the puck near the heel of your stick and roll it towards the toe as you follow through. Spinning the puck and keeping it level allows you to create a saucer-line path, something like a Frisbee. On any other pass you would point the toe of your blade towards your target, but as the puck will be in the air, you want to keep the puck level to make sure it lands flat. Keep the blade of your stick open and gently make the pass. Try aiming the heel of your stick towards the target, rather than the toe.

By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS I was recently coaching at the Ontario Winter Games, which was a high-performance camp and tournament for the top 160 Bantam-aged girls’ hockey players from all across Ontario. For these 13-15 year olds, this was the most intense competition they had ever been a part of. Scouts were watching their every move, coaches were evaluating their performance on and off the ice, and their parents were sitting up in the stands hoping for their daughters to perform their best. This was the first step on a long, challenging journey for these players who all aspire to play at the college, university and national team level. And it was very clear which players were ready to take on the tough road ahead. We, as coaches, were asked to evaluate the players on a wide variety of criteria, ranging from skating ability to game sense. Sometimes we get so focused on one particular aspect of our game that we forget about the importance of other areas. The list of areas to evaluate was very long and detailed, but I wanted to share the four most critical areas with you today. 1. Ability to skate the game This is by far the most important factor. And it is about more than just being fast. This is about timing and support. Your play with and without the puck. Your quickness in small spaces. Your speed in open spaces. Your power and strength on your skates. Without ALL of the above, you will not be able to compete at the highest levels of women’s hockey. Period. 2. Have great individual skills and be able to use them in a team environment On an individual basis: Are you a threat with the puck? Can you make moves, protect and control the puck? Can you give and receive a variety of passes? Can you shoot a variety of shots accurately with strength, power and a soft touch? Can you do all of the above while moving at a high speed? On the team level: Are you a threat with and without the puck? Can you use your vision to see and create options for yourself and your teammates? Can you control the puck in all situations and exhibit creativity and courage? Do you create time and space without the puck by getting open, drawing checkers, anticipating the play? 3. Ability to think the game As a coach who works mostly with the 14U, 16U and 19U level, this is the No. 1 difference I see between good players and great players. I’ve watched hundreds of games this season where it is clear that certain players have tremendous skills, but don’t have a very good understanding of the game. Here are some examples of what it means to “think” the game: • Are you defensively responsible? • Can you play within the team system in all three zones? • Do you anticipate and support the play on the forecheck, break-out and attack? • Are you a factor without the puck? 4. Grit and Intangibles This one might just be more important than all the rest. You can skate like the wind, have all the skills and great game sense, but if you aren’t willing to put in the WORK on and off the ice or do whatever it takes to win a game in the last 10 seconds (even when that means diving in front of a huge slap-shot), then you don’t have what it takes to get to the next level. You have to be able to win battles, fight through checks, play four games in one weekend and have your last shift be as effective and energetic as your first. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. You have to be willing to work hard and compete. You have to be able to deal with adversity. The road to the top of the women’s hockey world is very steep. There are many people near the bottom who say they want to get to the top. But as the road gets tougher, those who are willing to show their commitment start to separate themselves from the competition. The ones who reach the top are the ones who have all the things I’ve listed above, in addition to the unwavering desire to be their best. Having a great slap shot, 1-on-1 move or straight-away speed might be enough to allow you to stand out and get noticed at your current level. But it’s not enough to get you to the top. For many of the players who were at the Ontario Winter Games a few weeks back, this will be their last taste of provincial, national or international competition. That may sound harsh, but the truth is, some of them will quickly realize that they don’t want to travel up this tough and uncertain road ahead. Other players who didn’t make this competition will emerge and pass them along the way to the top. As I reminded my team a few times over the course of the competition, I could barely skate at the age of 13 – let alone perform at an elite level at a provincial tournament. You don’t need to be the best at the age of 14 to be the best at the age of 25 – which was the average age of the players on the Canadian and U.S. Olympic teams. But at every point along your journey to the top, you must commit to developing your game in each of the four critical areas listed above. If you do, you will be well on your way to success

Teach your kids not to celebrate too much after a goal if your team is winning or losing by a lot. And by all means, tell them celebrate with the team. After they score, tell them not to skate away from their teammates like soccer players. Find the person who passed you the puck and tell her, "Great pass."

“To win the game is Great... “To play the game is Greater…. “To Love the Game is Greatest of All”

Everybody loves to skate with the puck and stickhandle through the opposition defenses on the way to the net. Still, it’s much more effective if you let the puck do the work for you. Passing is without a doubt the best way to move the puck. Tip #1 When it comes to effectively passing the puck, accuracy is the key. You want to look at your intended target and take your time to make a good, hard, accurate pass. It’s all in the follow through. It’s important to work on passing in practice. Take your time and work on the basic fundamentals of making a good, crisp, accurate pass. That way when you get into a game it’s second nature to you. Tip #2 Never slap at the puck. You want it to roll off the blade from the heel toward the toe in a sweeping motion as you transfer your weight from your back foot to front foot. As the puck leaves your stick, make sure to follow through and point the toe of your stick at the intended target. Tip #3 A flip or saucer pass is the most effective pass when you have a man between you and your intended target. A good saucer pass floats eight to 10 inches off the ice and lands flat close to the blade of a teammate’s stick. Practice is the key. You don’t want to be firing the puck too high, where it can’t be controlled by your teammate. A player who can make an effective saucer or flip pass is worth his or her weight in gold. Tip #4 When it comes to receiving a pass, you want to turn the blade slightly toward the ice to form a pocket. Keep the angle of the blade so it takes the puck squarely. Don’t hold the stick too tightly when you are receiving a hard pass or the puck will “explode” off your stick. Remember This … It’s important to keep your head up when passing the puck. Most bad passes are caused by not looking up to spot your intended target. You should also be aware of where you are on the ice. Blind cross-ice passes are the leading cause of grey hairs among hockey coaches. Playing it safe and being smart with the puck will greatly improve your odds of winning the game.

Scoring chances are born out of the amount of time and space given to the team with the puck. Your job as a defender is to limit that time and space, forcing your opponent to give up the puck and put your team on the offensive. That’s why gap control is an important part of the game. A gap is the amount of space between the puck carrier and the defensive player. Win the battle of the gaps, and you will likely win the hockey game. Tip #1 By playing a tight gap a defenseman is taking away time and space from his opponent. Doing so will allow the defenseman to dictate where he wants the offensive player to go, which is generally toward the outside of the rink and away from a prime scoring area. Tip #2 Too often a defenseman will play a loose gap out of respect for an opponent’s speed and skill, and for fear of getting beat. If that’s the case, the offensive player is generally going to take the middle of the ice and have a better angle to shoot on net. You may not get beat physically, but your opponent is going to get a good scoring opportunity. Tip #3 It’s important to know whether your opponent is a left-handed or right-handed shot, and if he is playing the off-wing or his strong side. If the puck carrier is on his strong side, you may be able to give a little more of a gap because he has to expose the puck by bringing it in front of you as he cuts toward the middle of the ice, which may allow you the opportunity to poke the puck away. Tip #4 If the forward is on his off-wing and you play too loose a gap, he can cut to the middle of the ice while protecting the puck with his body. That’s why you need to play a tighter gap in these situations. Remember This … It’s important to work on maintaining tight gaps, especially in practice and in early-season games. Don’t be afraid of getting beat. You want to dictate the play, not your opposition.

CHICAGO – Team Sweden played the game it knew it had in them, pounding Germany to the tune of 7-3 to win the bronze medal at the WW U18 Championship. By finishing fourth, however, Germany finishes higher than any women’s team since the IIHF started the women’s program in 1990.

USA goalie Alex Rigsby sensational in 5-4 loss in WW U18 04-04-10 CHICAGO – Tournament MVP Jessica Campbell deflected a point shot at 3:10 of overtime to cap a terrific comeback by Canada to win 5-4 and earn gold at the WW U18 Championship. The Americans led 4-2 late in the second period but couldn’t withstand a potent Canadian offense. “My defenceman had the puck at the point and I saw she was going to take a quick shot,” Campbell related, “so I got in front of the goalie and tried to get my stick on it. I didn’t even see it go in.” If anyone wants to know what World Women’s U18 hockey should look like, tonight’s gold-medal game is the Hockey 101 primer. Canada and the United States are in such a class by themselves at this level that it truly is another kind of game they played from the level they participated in all week against weaker opponents. Tonight’s play was end-to-end, lightning fast, physical, skilled, and eminently entertaining. Perhaps most of all was the remarkable skill both teams demonstrated on the power play, moving the puck around with hard, clean passes, shooting bullets from all over, and generating plenty of scoring chances. Indeed, special teams accounted for four of the seven goals in the first two periods. The game started off at a blistering pace, and both teams got early power-play goals to get on the scoreboard. The U.S. struck in the first minute when Alex Carpenter knocked in a puck from close range, but Laurie Kingsbury scored on a superb one-timer from the point that whistled over the glove of Alex Rigsby. That tying goal gave the Canadians life, and for the rest of the opening ten minutes they dominated. They generated many a scoring chance off the rush, but they couldn’t convert to get the go-ahead goal. Kendall Coyne put the U.S. ahead 2-1 on a goal that goalie Carmen MacDonald would likely like a second chance on. Coyne skated down the right side and took a routine backhander when she ran out of room, but the puck found the far side. Just 47 seconds later, Zoe Hickel made it 3-1 when her shot from the right side rolled over MacDonald’s shoulder and in. Canadian players comforted their shaky goalie, and Canada played with impressive determination the rest of the period, knowing how important the next goal would be. Canada got that goal midway through the second on a power play, Christine Bestland beating Rigsby from in close to make it 3-2. The Americans responded a short time later on their own man advantage, though, again moving the puck around skillfully. Meagan Mangene finished a series of passes with a nice shot from the slot to make it a 4-2 game for the U.S. “We didn’t really get down on each other at all,” Campbell said about her team’s reaction on the bench. “We just said we have this—this is our game. We fought back and used it for positive energy and came back.” That fighting spirit helped. Before the period ended Canada clawed back to within a goal, Melodie Daoust converting on a deke off another won faceoff to draw Canada to within a goal again. The third period was tense action with tremendous flow both ways. Canada had a decided edge in scoring chances, but Rigsby was sensational in the U.S. net. She faced 50 shots in all on the night and was named Best Goalie by the IIHF Tournament Directorate. The game turned once and for all halfway through the period when Coyne made a sensational end-to-end rush and appeared to score a goal. However, referee Tara Leighton of the U.S. ruled the puck did not enter the net, and the score remained 4-3 for the Americans. The call was gutsy and controversial, but television evidence later suggested it was also correct. Dodging this bullet, Canada tied the game at 12:29 on a sensational play. Cassandra Poudrier drove down the right side and fed a perfect pass to Jenna McParland who was flying toward the net. She put her stick down and deflected the pass to the top corner over Rigsby’s shoulder. The rest of the period was thrilling but didn’t produce a winning goal, so teams went to their dressing rooms for a flood leading to a sudden-death, four-on-four overtime. That set the stage for Campbell’s heroics. In addition to Rigsby being named Best Goalie by the Directorate, Brigette Lacquette was named Best Defenceman and Kendall Coyne Best Forward. Campbell was named Tournament MVP. She led all scorers with 15 points in five games.

By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS If you are really serious about taking your game to the next level, it’s going to take a lot more than just working on your on-ice skills. Being a great hockey player is a critical piece of the puzzle, but it’s not enough. You need to take care of all the “little” things like getting stronger, faster and fitter off the ice, working on your mental game and paying attention to your nutrition. For most young players, nutrition is merely an afterthought. And this is a big mistake. You can be a very skilled player, but if you aren’t properly fueled, you will never be able to move from good to great. In the fast-paced and constantly-changing game of hockey, our nutrition is one of the few things we have complete control over. You can’t control what happens out on the ice, what your coach decides to do, what the refs do or don’t call or how good the other team is. But you can control what you do off the ice to put yourself in the best possible position to succeed – and nutrition is a huge part of your on-ice success. Most of the nutrition information that is available falls short of meeting the specific needs of young hockey players. It is either adult-specific or for general athletes, but doesn’t address the critical areas that players need. You need to know what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat so that you can perform your best every time you hit the ice. You need to know how much water you have to drink each day and understand why drinking any less than this could destroy your performance no matter how skilled you are. You need to know the secret to recovering quickly after games and how paying attention to your game-time nutrition will help you to perform your best during tournaments, playoffs and other key games. You need to know that making small changes to your diet is the biggest key to taking your performance to next level – and that these changes are quite simple. I know that trying to keep the nutrition plan of a teenage child under control is virtually impossible. This is not about being restrictive – it’s about making better choices. You don’t need to avoid all junk food, eat only organic products or restrict your diet in order to be a great hockey player. You also don’t need to follow the latest and greatest diet trends to be healthy. Taking your nutrition to the next level is actually quite simple – once you wade through all the misinformation that is out there. Nutrition can be a very touchy subject with young athletes – especially with girls, as comments and guidance can easily be misinterpreted with all the sensitivity about body image that bombards us in the daily media. Knowing what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat it can be the difference between having a great game and a mediocre game. And in a game like hockey where one little mistake or one big break can happen at any second, you need to have every possible advantage you can find. Taking control of your nutrition will give you that advantage and allow you to perform your best game after game. GAME WINNING NUTRITION is a hockey-specific nutrition manual focused on empowering athletes and parents with the information you need to take charge of your FUELING needs in order to maximize your performance on the ice! To get started taking your nutrition and game to the next level, go to http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/products/game_winning_nutrition/. Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS, is an expert in the development of aspiring female hockey players. She is a former NCAA Division I captain at Dartmouth and played in the National Women’s Hockey League for six years. She is currently the Girls Hockey Director at the PEAC School for Elite Athletes in Toronto and is the Founder of Total Female Hockey.